The NDMC earlier in the day decided to auction the Taj hotel and cancel the licence of Le Meridien.

Last November, Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) of the Tata Group had moved the Supreme Court against a Delhi High Court order allowing NDMC to auction the Taj Hotel.

The apex court, earlier on November 21 ordered that the status quo with regard to the Taj Mansingh Hotel be maintained and issued a notice to NDMC to reply to plea against the auction of hotel.

The Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed the Tata Group's appeal for retaining management rights over the Taj Mansingh Hotel, and in all practicality, told the business conglomerate that it will have to participate in the auction process.

The high court gave the green signal to the NDMC to go ahead with the public auction of the Taj Mansingh Hotel located in Central Delhi.

The property, owned by NDMC, was given to IHCL on a lease for 33 years, which ended in 2011. The IHCL has been managing the property since then through several extensions. The IHCL in 2013 filed a civil suit against the civic body in the Delhi High Court after it decided to auction the property.

The NDMC has entered into an agreement with the IHCL a subsidiary of Tata Sons Ltd, on December 18, 1976 to construct and run a five-star hotel in one of the prime locations in Central Delhi, Mansingh Road. (ANI)